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Jenny Vines

Bay 2/29
Spring Place
105 Commercial Rd
Southampton
SO15 1EG
United Kingdom

Tel:+44 (0)23 8083 9641
Fax:+44 (0)23 8032 9204
E-mail: jenny.vines@mcga.gov.uk

Our ref: MS 92/62/78 and MS 102/9/20

      

23 April 2009

Dear Consultee,

Instructions for the Guidance of Surveyors (I to S) Revised High Speed Craft (HSC) Code 2000 and HSC Code 2008 Edition.

This consultation is about two different sets of Instructions for the Guidance of Surveyors for HSC Code 2000.

One version is a totally new document, the 2008 edition of the 2000 HSC Code Instructions for the Guidance of Surveyors. This is for all vessels built post 1 July 2008. The second document is an amendment to the 2000 HSC Code Instructions for the Guidance of Surveyors MSIS24. This is for vessels built post 1 July 2002 and before 1 July 2008. They both sets of Instructions sit in parallel with the 1994 HSC Code Instructions MSIS11 (for vessels built post 1 Jan 1996 and before 1 July 2002), though this document is not currently under consultation.

The shipping industry has requested a number of changes to the current 2000 HSC Code to update them in line with various IMO and other amendments. Recently, a new 2008 version of the 2000 HSC Code was published which is a significantly modified version of the 2000 HSC Code and applies to vessels built post 1 July 2008. This needed an entirely new set of Instructions for the Guidance of Surveyors to be prepared. The set of Instructions for the Guidance of Surveyors covering the 2000 HSC Code (for vessels built after 1 July 2002 and before 1July 2008) also needed amending for those amendments that were retrospective. Within both sets of documents references to relevant IMO documents, EU directives, statutory instruments, Merchant Shipping Notices, ISO and BS standards have been checked and updated appropriately; The HSC Code footnote changes, amendments to the Code and any changes to the guidance have been incorporated.

The consultation has been limited to 6 weeks in view of the fact that it concerns revision to existing guidance and the new guidance applies only to new vessels.

Your comments are requested on the proposed Instructions for the Guidance of Surveyors outlined above and in the attached documentation. The closing date for this consultation is 4 June 2009. Please send your replies to:

Mrs. Jenny Vines CEng.
Vessel Policy Unit
Maritime and Coastguard Agency
Bay 2/29, Spring Place
105 Commercial Rd
Southampton
SO15 1EG

or email: jenny.vines@mcga.gov.uk

Responses, and any comments that the MCA has on them, will be published on the website as soon as possible after the consultation period has finished.

Yours sincerely,

Jenny Vines

Ship Surveyor

List of Consultees

Chamber of Shipping

UK Authorised Classification Societies: Det Norske Veritas, Lloyd’s Register, Germanischer Lloyd, American Bureau of Shipping, Class NK, Bureau Veritas, Registro Italiano Navale.

Red Ensign Group of British Overseas Territories and Crown Dependencies

Domestic Passenger Ship Steering Committee members (An industry liaison group)

High Speed Craft Advisory Group members (An industry liaison group)

Nautilus Union

Scottish Office

Welsh Office

Freedom of Information Act

Please also note that information provided in response to this consultation, including personal information, may be published or disclosed in accordance with the access to information regimes (these are primarily the Freedom of Information Act 2000 (FOIA), the Data Protection Act 1998 (DPA) and the Environmental Information Regulations 2004).

If you want the information that you provide to be treated as confidential, please be aware that, under the FOIA, there is a statutory Code of Practice with which public authorities must comply and which deals, amongst other things, with obligations of confidence. In view of this it would be helpful if you could explain to us why you regard the information you have provided as confidential. If we receive a request for disclosure of the information we will take full account of your explanation, but we cannot give an assurance that confidentiality can be maintained in all circumstances. An automatic confidentiality disclaimer generated by your IT system will not, of itself, be regarded as binding on the Department.

The Department will process your personal data in accordance with the DPA and in the majority of circumstances this will mean that your personal data will not be disclosed to third parties.

Consultation Criteria

MCA has set out to conduct this consultation in accordance with the following Cabinet Office criteria:

  • consult widely throughout the process, allowing a minimum of 12
    weeks for written consultation at least once during the development of the policy;
  • be clear about what your proposals are, who may be affected, what questions are being asked and the timescale for responses;
  • ensure that your consultation is clear, concise and widely accessible;
  • give feedback regarding the responses received, and how the consultation process influenced the policy
  • monitor your department’s effectiveness at consultation, including through the use of a designated consultation co-ordinator;
  • ensure your consultation follows better regulation best practice, including carrying out a Regulatory Impact Assessment if appropriate;
  • Should you have any comments or complaints about how this consultation has been conducted please direct them to the MCA’s Consultation Co-ordinator:

Consultation Coordinator
Office of the Chief Executive
MCA
Bay 3/29, Spring Place
105 Commercial Rd
Southampton
SO15 1EG
consultation.coordinator@mcga.gov.uk Tel: 02380329189


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